In 2013, a high-stakes business dispute in Guangxi, China, triggered an assassination plot that spiraled into a ridiculous chain of corporate outsourcing. A real estate developer decided to permanently eliminate a rival to avoid a costly legal battle.
However, the hired assassin did not do the job. Instead, he hired another hitman at a lower price. This sparked an unbelievable sequence of subcontracting that involved five different assassins passing the job down the line for diminishing payouts. The plot ultimately collapsed in a cafe with a staged photo shoot.
A Two Million Yuan Assassination Contract
Real estate developer Tan Youhui faced a costly lawsuit filed by his competitor, Wei Mou. Fearing major financial loss, Tan decided to have Wei killed. In October 2013, Tan hired hitman Xi Guangan, paying him two million Chinese yuan to carry out the murder.
Xi accepted the lucrative contract but immediately outsourced the crime. He hired a second man, Mo Tianxiang, offering him one million yuan. After securing Mo, Xi then renegotiated with Tan for an additional one million yuan upon completion.
The Diminishing Returns of Subcontracting Murder
Mo Tianxiang also decided not to commit the crime himself. He hired a third hitman, Yang Kangsheng, promising 270,000 yuan upfront and an additional 500,000 yuan afterward. Continuing the chain, Yang Kangsheng outsourced the hit to a fourth man, Yang Guangsheng, for 200,000 yuan upfront and a 500,000 yuan completion bonus.
Finally, Yang Guangsheng hired a fifth assassin, Ling Xiansi. By the time the contract reached Ling, the payment had dropped to just 100,000 yuan for the assassination.
A Secret Cafe Meeting and a Staged Death
Ling Xiansi concluded the small payout was not worth the risk of a murder conviction. Instead of killing the target, Ling contacted Wei and arranged a secret meeting at a local cafe. Ling revealed the assassination plot and proposed a bloodless alternative.
He asked Wei to help him fake the murder so he could collect his payment. Wei agreed and posed for photographs, allowing himself to be bound and gagged. Ling sent the photographic proof up the chain of hitmen to Tan Youhui.
Lengthy Trials and Final Prison Sentences
After staging the photographs, Wei reported the assassination attempt to the police. Authorities tracked down the entire chain of subcontractors. The case initially went to trial in 2016, where all six defendants were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
Prosecutors successfully appealed the decision. Following a second trial at the Nanning Intermediate People’s Court, all six men were convicted of intentional homicide. On October 17, Tan received a five-year prison sentence. The five hitmen received respective prison terms ranging from two years and seven months to three years and six months.